Home / Health / Your Produce May Contain Toxic 'Forever Chemicals'
Your Produce May Contain Toxic 'Forever Chemicals'
25 Mar
Summary
- PFAS, or forever chemicals, are synthetic and can harm human health.
- Spinach and kale top the list of produce with high pesticide residues.
- Nearly all Americans have been exposed to PFAS through various sources.
Synthetic chemicals known as PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' are slow to decompose and can pose health risks to humans, including potential links to cancer depending on exposure levels.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its 2026 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, identifying pesticide residues on popular fruits and vegetables. The guide's "Dirty Dozen" list, featuring non-organic produce with the highest pesticide residues, found PFAS on 63 percent of its samples.
Spinach leads the "Dirty Dozen" list, followed closely by kale, collard, and mustard greens. Kale samples showed contamination with DCPA, a pesticide possibly linked to cancer. Strawberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples, blackberries, pears, and blueberries were also identified on the list.
Beyond produce, PFAS are prevalent in tap water, takeout containers, and makeup. The Government Accountability Office notes that widespread exposure is common across the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration states it takes action if specific food items contain PFAS levels indicating a health concern.
For consumers seeking produce with lower pesticide traces, the EWG's "Clean Fifteen" list includes items like pineapples, sweet corn, avocados, and papayas.
